Sindh Cabinet approves reforms in Vehicle Registration, MDCAT oversight, heritage conservation

KARACHI, Aug 07 (APP): Sindh cabinet has approved a series of wide-ranging reforms, including the launch of CNIC-based vehicle registration, the transfer of MDCAT examination responsibility to IBA Sukkur, and a province-wide reassessment of 3,371 protected heritage buildings.
The Cabinet meeting held here at the CM House Thursday with Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah in the chair, was attended by provincial ministers, advisors, special assistants, the chief secretary and the concerned secretaries.
The Cabinet also gave the green light to register seized government vehicles with altered chassis, establish Vehicle Fitness Inspection Centres, and grant a final extension in service and salary payments for COVID-19-era technical and supporting staff.
The meeting, held at CM House Thursday, was attended by provincial ministers, advisors, special assistants, the chief secretary and the concerned secretaries.
The Sindh Cabinet reviewed a proposal by the Excise department to introduce a CNIC-based vehicle registration system, along with Personalized Registration Marks (PRMs).
The new system will link registration marks directly to a vehicle owner’s CNIC rather than the vehicle’s chassis, allowing owners to retain and reuse their personalized number plates even after selling their vehicle. The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) will now be based on the chassis number, which remains the permanent identifier of the vehicle.
Under the proposed model, number plates will be retained by owners, and upon sale of a vehicle, the plate is detached from the chassis and can be reassigned. If not retained, the number will be surrendered for auction or re-issuance.
The Cabinet, in principle, approved the CNIC based registration model and its legal amendments to bring Sindh’s system in line with global best practices and recent reforms in the Islamabad Capital Territory.
The Sindh Government also proposed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the registration of confiscated or seized government vehicles with tampered chassis or cut-and-weld alterations.
In a significant step toward preserving Sindh’s architectural legacy, provincial Cabinet approved the formation of a committee or multiple committees of experts to reassess the 3,371 buildings currently declared as Protected Heritage across the province.
These heritage sites were originally identified and notified under the Sindh Cultural Heritage (Preservation) Act, 1994. An Advisory Committee was constituted to guide preservation efforts. Subsequent surveys, including one by NED University in 2008–9 and a departmental re-survey in 2017–18, led to the declaration of 3,371 sites as Protected Heritage based on their architectural and historical significance.
The Sindh cabinet approved an important amendment to the Sindh Boards of Intermediate and Secondary Education (Amendment) Act, 2025, enabling the appointment of BS-19 and BS-20 officers as Chairmen of the education boards across the province.
The new amendment to Section 15(1) now permits the appointment of BS-19/20 officers by transfer as Chairmen. The Chairmen will continue to serve a three-year term, with eligibility for reappointment. The Controlling Authority retains the power to make appointments either by direct recruitment or transfer.
The Sindh Cabinet considered proposals regarding the Government of Sindh’s 16 per cent shareholding in Pakistan Textile City Ltd (PTCL), a failed industrial project on 1,250 acres within Port Qasim. The Port Qasim Authority (PQA) has offered to buy out all shareholders at Rs 10 per share and take over PTCL’s liabilities.
The Sindh Government invested Rs 200 million in equity and Rs 271 million through KW&SC for infrastructure. It has proposed three options, including land Compensation: Reclaim 200 acres of land (16 per cent share) for future development.
Financial Compensation to seek Rs. 12.48 billion as total compensation for land, equity investment, and infrastructure costs with accrued returns, and the third proposal was to get 16% equity in any future projects on the same land.
The Cabinet approved the formation of a Committee, including the Minister of Industries, the Minister of Law and the CM’s Special Assistant Saleem Baloch, to examine various options and submit a report with recommendations
To enhance the effectiveness and clarity of anti-terrorism proceedings in the province, the Sindh Home Department proposed amendments to the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997. The provincial cabinet approved specific changes to Section 13(1) and Section 28(1) of the Act, which deal with the establishment and transfer of cases between ATCs.
Under the proposed amendments, age limits and tenure extensions for ATC judges will be formally prescribed. A structured procedure for transferring or de-notifying ATCs will be introduced to improve case management and security coordination.
Addressing long-standing concerns of stagnation and lack of career progression, the cabinet approved the upgradation of various teaching and instructor posts in the Special Education and Rehabilitation Centres from BPS-08, 09, 11, and 12 to BPS-14.
To optimise resource allocation, Chief Minister Sindh directed the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPD) to abolish 73 redundant posts and implement the upgradation through adjustments within existing cost centres, ensuring no additional burden on the provincial exchequer.
The cabinet finalized a comprehensive MDCAT Admission Policy for the MBBS and BDS programmes across public and private medical and dental colleges in the province, in compliance with the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) Act, 2022 and a Sindh High Court directive.
MDCAT Policy includes strict adherence to PMDC rules for merit determination, pass percentages, and eligibility. Sindh domicile is mandatory for applicants, with verification through Juvenile Cards and Biometric authentication. The seat allocation and distribution for all medical colleges and universities will be published in the annual Prospectus for Session 2024-25, which cannot be altered by the admitting universities.
Sukkur IBA Testing Agency (SIBA) has been designated as the current testing agency due to its satisfactory performance in MDCAT-2024, but future selections will remain performance-based. The Health Department retains the authority to conduct the admissions process directly or through any nominated medical university. A supervisory committee will be notified by the department to oversee the process when handled by a university.
The Sindh Cabinet approved the final extension in the services and salary disbursement of Technical and Supporting Staff engaged during the COVID-19 emergency response, particularly in vaccination centres and tertiary care hospitals across the province.
The Health Department recommended allowing for the continuation of 2,423 skilled and supporting staff deployed at Corona Vaccination Centres (CVCs) under District Health Officers until June 30, 2025. These staff members, including undergraduate medical students, community workers, and data entry operators, will receive their salaries at the rate of Rs. 600 per day, with an allocated budget of Rs. 530.637 million for the financial year 2025–26.
The Cabinet also approved an extension for 335 para-medical staff working at five tertiary care hospitals, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), Civil Hospital Karachi, Lyari General Hospital, SMBBMC Karachi, and GMMMCH Sukkur, until June 2025, with a salary allocation of Rs. 112.560 million.
In a move towards environmental sustainability, the Sindh Cabinet has officially designated the Department of Environment, Climate Change, and Coastal Development as the lead authority for carbon market and carbon financing initiatives in the province.
The cabinet, on the recommendation of the federal government, decided to notify the provincial Pharmacovigilance Centre. The centres will actively coordinate to report undesirable reaction of any drug being used at any medical facility.
The cabinet decided to reserve 100 acres of land in Deh Makli, District Thatta for the establishment of Sindh University Campus, Thatta.
NADRA was also given 38 ghuntas of land in Deh Nasirabad, New Sukkur, to establish its Regional head Office in Sukkur.
The cabinet approved the appointment of Brig (retd) Inamul Haq as Internal Security Specialist in the Security Unit. The cabinet allowed the recruitment of 1045 ASIs, head wireless operators, head constables (drivers) and prison constables in Sindh prisons.